Yoon gets no-decision in minor league start

Published : 2014-04-24 20:03
Updated : 2014-04-24 20:03

Yoon Suk-min (Yonhap)

South Korean pitcher Yoon Suk-min got a no-decision in his fourth minor league start on Wednesday.

Starting for the Norfolk Tides, the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on the road, the right-hander pitched five innings and allowed two runs, both unearned, on eight hits and two walks.

Yoon left the game with the Tides up 4-2, but the IronPigs tied the score in the bottom of the eighth and won with a sacrifice fly in the ninth.

Yoon remained at 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA in 17 1/3 innings. He has struck out nine and walked seven.

Yoon signed a three-year deal with the Orioles in February, after pitching nine seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization. He reported to the O’s camp in Florida but fell behind schedule as he was forced to travel to Canada to obtain a work permit. He also had a scheduled preseason appearance rained out.

The O’s assigned him to Norfolk before the start of the regular season, hoping to put the 27-year-old through more tests before he can join the major league staff.

He was rocked for nine runs on 11 hits in just 2 1/3 innings in his first start on April 8. Five days later, Yoon gave up three more runs in 4 1/3 innings.

Last Friday, he held the Durham Bulls to two runs, one of them unearned, in 5 2/3 innings but still took the loss.

Against the IronPigs, Yoon gave up two runs in the first inning. After two straight singles, Maikel Franco hit a liner to left fielder Jemile Weeks, who misplayed the ball and allowed a run to score. After a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third, Jim Murphy grounded to shortstop and was thrown out at first. Clete Thomas scored on the play, but Norfolk first baseman Johnny Monell threw to third to get Thomas and end the inning.

Yoon again allowed two straight singles to open the second inning, but on a sacrifice bunt attempt later, he threw out the lead runner at third.

With two outs in the same frame, the IronPigs loaded the bases on an infield single but Yoon escaped the jam by getting Thomas to ground out.

The IronPigs once again put two runners on board in the third with two outs, and Yoon again induced a groundout to end the rally. (Yonhap)